Avastha-Traya-Vicara
Avasthā-Traya-Vicāra (IAST)Translation: "inquiry into the three states of experience"
A Concise Dictionary of Indian Philosophy
Sanskrit: अवस्थात्रयविचार
Transliteration: Avasthā-Traya-Vicāra
Translation: "enquiry into the three states of experience"
Definition:
- This is a technique used in Advaita Vedānta to reveal the real nature of the individual. In its empirical existence, the individual has three kinds of experience—waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. The Self is involved in these three states through the adjunct of the body-mind complex with which it is associated. This enquiry is meant to reveal that the Self is not really affected by the triple stream of experience. It is adventitious and not natural to it. To realize this is to realize the fourth (Turīya) state, or the Absolute (Brahman)
The Upanishads: Volume I (Swami Nikhilananda)
"The Upanishads discuss at great length the three states of the soul (Avasthātraya). They are the waking state, the dream state, and dreamless sleep. These cover the totality of the soul's experiences in the relative world. As we analyze the three states, Ātman's metaphysical nature becomes more and more plainly visible. But in Its true nature—as Turīya, or the Fourth—Ātman is detached "Witness of the three states." During the state of deep sleep, the soul enjoys a temporary union with Brahman and frees itself from fear and suffering. But, as Turīya, it experiences consciously and always the undying Bliss of Brahman.
WAKING
Ātman, during the waking state—when It is known by the technical name of Viśva or Vaiśvānara—experiences the physical world in common with all men. It uses the various sense-organs as Its instruments. But there is no real difference between waking and dreaming. In both states, a false reality is contemplated; one's real Self remains unknown. Waking, like dreaming, is Māyā, as Gauḍāpada states, since it projects for us a manifold universe. The perceptions of waking, just like those of dreams, have their origin solely within man himself and have no other existence except in the mind of him who is awake. And further, as the reality of the dreamer is discarded on awakening, so too the so-called reality of waking is discarded when we dream. Just as a fish swims between the two banks of a river without touching them, so Ātman roams between the states of waking and dreaming; from waking It hastens to dreaming, and from this again "back to the waking state. He is untouched by whatever he sees in that state, for this Infinite Being is unattached."
DREAMING
The dream world is a private world of the dreamer—from the waking standpoint, of course. The soul, while dreaming, is known by the technical name of Taijasa. The experiences of a dream are as real as waking experiences, so long as the dream lasts. On awaking from a dream, a man discovers that his body and senses were inactive and thus concludes that he was dreaming. "When he dreams, he takes away a little of [the impressions of] this all-embracing world (the waking state), himself puts the body aside, and creates [a dream body in its place], revealing his own lustre by his own light—and dreams. In this state, the man himself becomes the light. There are no chariots, no animals to be yoked to them, no roads there, but he creates the chariots, animals, and roads. There are no pleasures, joys, or delights there, but he creates the pleasures, joys, and delights. There are no pools, tanks, or rivers there, but he creates the pools, tanks, and rivers; for his is the creator." "In the dream world, the Shining One, attaining higher and lower states, puts forth innumerable forms. He seems to be enjoying himself in the company of women, or laughing, or even seeing frightful things." The subject and the object in the dream, and their relationship, are all created by Ātman from the mind-stuff and illumined by Its own effulgence. This is evidence that Ātman is the inner light of man.
DREAMLESS SLEEP
The dreamer passes into profound sleep, in which state Ātman is known by the technical name of Prajñā. "When a man, being thus asleep, sees no dream whatever, he becomes one with Prāṇa alone; then speech enters therein with all names, the eye with all forms, the ear with all sounds, the mind with all thoughts." In deep sleep, the soul is united with the Consciousness that is Brahman (Prājnena Ātmanā). There are no longer any contrasted objects; there is no consciousness in the empirical sense. There is a union with the eternal Knowing Subject, that is to say, with Brahman. But this union is only apparent and is unlike the true union that follows the Knowledge of Brahman. The sleeper returns to consciousness of the waking world and becomes again his old self. In dreamless sleep, Ātman remains covered by the thin layer of the veiling-power of Māyā; that is why, unlike Turīya, It is unconscious of the world. Like two extremes, which sometimes meet, the state of deep sleep in many respects resembles perfect Knowledge. It is a state where a man is fearless, beyond desires, and free from evils. Like a man in perfect communion with Brahman, he does not know anything at all of the world within or without. "In this state, a father is no father, a mother no mother, the worlds are no worlds, the Vedas no Vedas. In this state, a thief is no thief, the killer of a noble Brāhmin is no killer. . . [this form of his] is untouched by good works and untouched by evil works; for he is beyond all the woes of his heart (intellect)." In the state of deep sleep, the soul does not really become unconscious. The Consciousness belonging to Ātman is not destroyed, because this Consciousness is immortal. It appears, therefore, that in the relative world the nearest approach to the peace and desirelessness of Brahman is the experience of deep sleep.
TURIYA
Ātman in Its purest form, detached from the three states and subsisting alone and by Itself, is called Turīya, which is the same as Nirguna Brahman. That Turīya is different from the state of deep sleep has been emphasized by Gauḍāpada. "Prajñā (the Self associated with deep sleep) does not know anything of the Self or the non-Self, neither truth nor untruth. But Turīya is ever existent and ever all-seeing. Non-cognition of duality is common to both Prajñā and Turīya. But Prajñā is associated with sleep, in which relative experiences remain in seed form; there is no sleep in Turīya." "To dream is to cognize Reality in a wrong manner. [Even an awakened man, under the spell of ignorance, acts as if he were dreaming.] Deep sleep is the state in which one does not know at all what Reality is. When the erroneous knowledge associated with dreaming and deep sleep disappears, one realizes Turīya. When the Jīva, asleep under the influence of the beginningless Māyā, is awakened, it then realizes [within itself] Non-duality, eternal and dreamless." Turīya is free from the notion of the empirical subject and object. It pervades all the phenomena of the relative universe, as the desert pervades a mirage. It is the unrelated foundation of the three states and is realized by the illumined soul always and in everything, once ignorance is dispelled by the Vedāntic discipline.
WAKING
Ātman, during the waking state—when It is known by the technical name of Viśva or Vaiśvānara—experiences the physical world in common with all men. It uses the various sense-organs as Its instruments. But there is no real difference between waking and dreaming. In both states, a false reality is contemplated; one's real Self remains unknown. Waking, like dreaming, is Māyā, as Gauḍāpada states, since it projects for us a manifold universe. The perceptions of waking, just like those of dreams, have their origin solely within man himself and have no other existence except in the mind of him who is awake. And further, as the reality of the dreamer is discarded on awakening, so too the so-called reality of waking is discarded when we dream. Just as a fish swims between the two banks of a river without touching them, so Ātman roams between the states of waking and dreaming; from waking It hastens to dreaming, and from this again "back to the waking state. He is untouched by whatever he sees in that state, for this Infinite Being is unattached."
DREAMING
The dream world is a private world of the dreamer—from the waking standpoint, of course. The soul, while dreaming, is known by the technical name of Taijasa. The experiences of a dream are as real as waking experiences, so long as the dream lasts. On awaking from a dream, a man discovers that his body and senses were inactive and thus concludes that he was dreaming. "When he dreams, he takes away a little of [the impressions of] this all-embracing world (the waking state), himself puts the body aside, and creates [a dream body in its place], revealing his own lustre by his own light—and dreams. In this state, the man himself becomes the light. There are no chariots, no animals to be yoked to them, no roads there, but he creates the chariots, animals, and roads. There are no pleasures, joys, or delights there, but he creates the pleasures, joys, and delights. There are no pools, tanks, or rivers there, but he creates the pools, tanks, and rivers; for his is the creator." "In the dream world, the Shining One, attaining higher and lower states, puts forth innumerable forms. He seems to be enjoying himself in the company of women, or laughing, or even seeing frightful things." The subject and the object in the dream, and their relationship, are all created by Ātman from the mind-stuff and illumined by Its own effulgence. This is evidence that Ātman is the inner light of man.
DREAMLESS SLEEP
The dreamer passes into profound sleep, in which state Ātman is known by the technical name of Prajñā. "When a man, being thus asleep, sees no dream whatever, he becomes one with Prāṇa alone; then speech enters therein with all names, the eye with all forms, the ear with all sounds, the mind with all thoughts." In deep sleep, the soul is united with the Consciousness that is Brahman (Prājnena Ātmanā). There are no longer any contrasted objects; there is no consciousness in the empirical sense. There is a union with the eternal Knowing Subject, that is to say, with Brahman. But this union is only apparent and is unlike the true union that follows the Knowledge of Brahman. The sleeper returns to consciousness of the waking world and becomes again his old self. In dreamless sleep, Ātman remains covered by the thin layer of the veiling-power of Māyā; that is why, unlike Turīya, It is unconscious of the world. Like two extremes, which sometimes meet, the state of deep sleep in many respects resembles perfect Knowledge. It is a state where a man is fearless, beyond desires, and free from evils. Like a man in perfect communion with Brahman, he does not know anything at all of the world within or without. "In this state, a father is no father, a mother no mother, the worlds are no worlds, the Vedas no Vedas. In this state, a thief is no thief, the killer of a noble Brāhmin is no killer. . . [this form of his] is untouched by good works and untouched by evil works; for he is beyond all the woes of his heart (intellect)." In the state of deep sleep, the soul does not really become unconscious. The Consciousness belonging to Ātman is not destroyed, because this Consciousness is immortal. It appears, therefore, that in the relative world the nearest approach to the peace and desirelessness of Brahman is the experience of deep sleep.
TURIYA
Ātman in Its purest form, detached from the three states and subsisting alone and by Itself, is called Turīya, which is the same as Nirguna Brahman. That Turīya is different from the state of deep sleep has been emphasized by Gauḍāpada. "Prajñā (the Self associated with deep sleep) does not know anything of the Self or the non-Self, neither truth nor untruth. But Turīya is ever existent and ever all-seeing. Non-cognition of duality is common to both Prajñā and Turīya. But Prajñā is associated with sleep, in which relative experiences remain in seed form; there is no sleep in Turīya." "To dream is to cognize Reality in a wrong manner. [Even an awakened man, under the spell of ignorance, acts as if he were dreaming.] Deep sleep is the state in which one does not know at all what Reality is. When the erroneous knowledge associated with dreaming and deep sleep disappears, one realizes Turīya. When the Jīva, asleep under the influence of the beginningless Māyā, is awakened, it then realizes [within itself] Non-duality, eternal and dreamless." Turīya is free from the notion of the empirical subject and object. It pervades all the phenomena of the relative universe, as the desert pervades a mirage. It is the unrelated foundation of the three states and is realized by the illumined soul always and in everything, once ignorance is dispelled by the Vedāntic discipline.
References:
- Grimes, John (1996). A Concise Dictionary of Indian Philosophy: Sanskrit Terms Defined in English. Albany: State University of New York Press
- Nikhilananda, Swami (1949). The Upanishads: Volume I—Katha, Iśa, Kena, and Mundaka. New York, New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers. p. 92-95.
